Indian Americans gear up for Lok Sabha poll

April 13, 2009 12:08 IST

Indian community living in the United States is showing keen interest in the Lok Sabha elections with some overseas leaders planning to visit the country to actively campaign for their favourite candidates.

The 15th general elections have brought into action the Overseas Friends of the BJP and Indian National Overseas Congress, both affiliate themselves with the BJP and the Congress respectively.

Leaders from both the OFBJP and INOC are planning to go there in coming days to campaign for the respective parties.

Led by general secretary George Abraham, INOC is campaigning for Congress candidate from Trivandrum Shashi Tharoor.

Former UN official Tharoor, who ran for the post of UN Secretary General, was a popular figure among the NRI in the US.

Cutting across party lines, Indian American community want Tharoor to win his maiden debut to Indian electoral politics.

Meanwhile, leaders of the OFBJP in emails have asked their friends and people in India to vote for BJP.

"OFBJP and BJP's sympathizers appeal people of India to vote for BJP in the forthcoming parliament election so that a stable and strong government can be formed at the Centre," said Rajesh Shukla of the OFBJP in a statement.

Alleging that the leaders of the third and fourth front are opportunistic, Shukla said a vote to these parties would be a sheer waste.

In an E-mail on Sunday, Shukla charged that the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been one of the weakest one in post-Independent India.

"Under the given circumstances, it is only the BJP which is capable of leading India once again," said Shukla, who is schedule to campaign for the party in New Delhi and in his home State Uttar Pradesh later this month.